Sign apparatus



April 1932- E. G. ROWLEY 1,852,028

' SIGN APPARATUS Filed April 14, 1931 2 Sheets-$heet 1 April 5, 1932.

E. G. ROWLEY S I GN APPARATUS Filed April 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2WMMWIMMM III/YIMWIIIMIIYIJ Hi: If

Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE 1 EDWARD G. ROWLEY, FNEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO CINE-A-GRAPH COR- PORATION, OF NEW YORK,N. Y.,

A oonrona'rronor DELAWARE SIGN. AFPABATUS 7 Application filed April 14,

to be more economically operated;

In the merchandising of commodities, advertising is an important andexpensive item. Advertising by signs is very efiective and popular, butsuch signs are expensive, because 1 of the cost ofmanufacture and thecost of upkeep and operation. I

It is an object of this invention to provide a sign which may be readilyconstructed and assembled at a low cost.

A further object is the provision of an animated sign which maybeoperated by a small synchronous motor ofthe type used for electricclocks and which consume an inappreciable amount of power, thusrendering the operation of the sign economical.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, areaccomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and l exhibited in the accompanyingdrawings,

forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the sign device.

Figure 2 represents a partial elevational View of the device, with partsbroken away.

Figure 3 represents a top view of the device with a part of the coverremoved.

Figure 4 represents a sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 2. v

Figure 5 represents a view showing details of a cam operated switch usedin the device.

Figure 6 represents a Wiring diagram of the electrical circuit used inthe device, and showing details of the cam operated switch.

Referring to the drawings, the sign device is shown to include a casinghaving a rear wall 10, side walls 11, a bottom 12 anda front wall 18having aportion cut out to provide a window, the front wall beingbevelled at 14 adj acent the edges of the window.

At its upper edge the front wall has a right angled inwardly bent flange17, which cooperates with a spaced angle 18, attached to the front wallto provide a support for the forand 40, and other structurehereinafterde- 1931. Serial No. 529,906.

ward edge of a slidable cover 15, which hasa downturned flange 16 at itsrear edge to limit forward movement of the cover. The 1 side walls 11are similarly provided with inturned flanges 19 which assist in guidingthe cover 15.

casing to be suspended from above. Theslots 6U 23 are of greater lengththan the width of the bars 22, the latter being of greater length thanthe space between the columns, so that when the bars are inserted in theslots and engage the upper heads 21, they are. securely held in positionfor the purpose of suspending the casmg. a 1

At opposite sides of the window, angles 25 are attached to the front andside walls, each angle having a flange 26 adjacent the bevelled portions14. Attached to the angles arechannels 27 and 28, spaced apart, so as toform with the flange 26,-four guideways, (see Figure 3) to receive,respectively, a sheet of glass 29, and a frame 30 upon which theadvertising matter 1s carried, a second sheet of transparent glass'38,and finally, in channel 28, is" received the side edges of a chassis 34which carries a plurality of incandescent lamps 3 9 scribed. V r w a Theframe 30 is: provided 'withguideways into whichare slid strips 31' and32which bear the advertising matter. The strips 3.1 and 32 may be of'opaquemate-rialwith transparent figures thereon, or the strips-may beof transparent material with opaque figures thereon as may be desired.A, r

The chassis 34 is provided'with a centrally positioned shelf 35, on topand bottom members, all being trapezoidal in shape and connected by sidewalls 50, as shown in-Figure 3, the top and bottom members havingontturned flanges36 (see Figure 4).

The shelf 35 divides the chassis into two compartments 37 and 88', inwhich are carried respectively a plurality of incandescent lamps 39 and40, connected in series and respectively to conductors 46 and 45 of aswitch device,

-' having" spring fingers 44 and 43, normally in "100 y 7 It isobviousthat while I have described break the circuit through bothsets oflamps.-

In this manner, reading matter on slide 31 is first displayed and willcontinue to be displayed during the displaying of the reading matter 011slide 32, after which both displays simultaneously disappear.

- 'The' cams are fiXedto a shaft 47 which is driven by. a smallsynchronous motor 41 of the type commonly used for synchronous electricclocks and which consume an inappreciable-amount of power.; As far as Iknow, I am the first to adapt such a synchronous motor for useinrelectric sign apparatus and take advantage of the extremely low costof operating such motors.

. The switch and cam structure is mounted on a bracket 42, whichtogether with the motor.41, is mounted on the side wall 50 of thechassis. It will be readily appreciated that this arrangement enables aconvenient assemblyof the sign devices as the motor and all operatingparts are compactly carried by the chassis, and the latter isindependent of the casing, it being only necessary to slide the chassisinto position in the channels 28. Obviously, in quantity production, thecasing and associated parts may be constructed independently of thechassis, and the sign device completely assembled progressively in themanner in which automobiles are assembled in quantity production.

the chassis as having but two compartments and. two sets of incandescentlamps, it may be readily constructed with three, four ormorecompartments and sets of lamps, as may be desired without resort toinvention, in order to'illuminate three, four or more it to be slidablypositioned in a pair of the guideways, incandescent lamps mounted in thecompartments of the chassis, a switching device to periodically make andbreak an'ele'ctrical circuit through the lamps, and a synchronous motorto actuate the switching device, said motor and switching device beingmounted on the chassis.

2. In a sign device, a casing having a column at each of its fourcorners, slots in said columns, a cross bar slidably positioned in theslots in each pair of columns,means on the columns to limit upwardmovement of the cross bars,,and a chain attached to the pended fromabove. 7

3. In a sign device, a casing having a sis, incandescent lamps mountedon the chassis, means on the chassis to enable it to be slidablypositioned in the guideways, and means mounted on the chassis toperiodicalcross bars to enable the casing to be suspair of guidewaysmounted therein, a chasly make and break an electrical circuit throughthe lamps.

This specification signed this 13th day of April, 1931.

EDWARD e. ROWLEY.

strips bearing advertising matter. The shelf :35Yobviously, preventsillumination of the slide 32 until the lamps 40 are lighted.

From the above description, it is seen that I have provided a signdevice which may be conveniently, readily and economically constructed,and which may be operated at an inappreciable cost. 7 I

. The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded H as descriptive andillustrative only,and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention,of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including manymodifications .-without departing from the general scope hereinindicated and denoted in theappended i -Having thus described myinvention, what w 7

